Featured Past Lectures
Upcoming Lectures 26th July 2026
Title: Exploring the Edges of Science
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Abstract
The tremendous progress in scientific knowledge has enhanced our understanding of the natural world, life, and the cosmos. Yet, as scientific inquiry advances, it also encounters profound questions that remain unresolved—questions concerning the origin of the universe, the emergence of consciousness, the nature of life, free will, the fine-tuning of physical laws, and the existence of objective meaning and purpose. These "edges of science" represent the boundaries where empirical investigation meets deep philosophical and metaphysical inquiry. This talk explores some of these frontiers, examining both the remarkable achievements and the inherent limitations of modern science. It highlights how science continues to expand the horizons of knowledge while recognizing that certain fundamental questions may require complementary ways of knowing. Drawing insights from philosophy and the wisdom traditions, particularly the Vedic perspective, the discussion encourages a respectful dialogue between scientific inquiry and spiritual understanding. Rather than viewing science and spirituality as opposing worldviews, the presentation proposes that they can work together to offer a more comprehensive understanding of reality, enriching our search for truth, purpose, and the nature of existence. |
29th June 2026
Title: Mind, Machine, and Ethics
Speaker: Prof.Rajakishore Nath , IIT Bombay
Rajakishore Nath completed a Master's Degree and a PhD from the University of Hyderabad, India. He has received the University Gold Medal in Master's Degree, the Best PhD thesis award in PhD from the University of Hyderabad, and the Young Philosopher Award from the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India and the Young Faculty Award from IIT Bombay in 2008. His research interests include philosophy of cognitive science, AI Ethics and the history of philosophy. He has published more than 50 articles in national/international journals/edited books. He has authored a book on "Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (2009, Universal Publishers, USA). He is/was associated with three prestigious journals. He is an associate editor of the Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Society (Springer London), an associate editor of the Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (Nature Journal) (June 2024- April 2026), and an editorial member of the Indian Journal of Social Work published by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. He is the Chairperson of the Institute Review Board at the Tata Institute of Social Science. He is too Board of Studies Member of various Universities in India. Right now, he is working as a Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India.
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Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has become a human companion and plays a vital role in human action. We believe in AI, but not in humans. This is because the advent of intelligent robots has occupied a significant position in society over the past decades and has given rise to new issues in society. The important claim of artificial intelligence (AI) advocates is that there is no distinction between mind and AI, and thus, they argue there are possibilities for AI ethics, just as human ethics. AI ethics refers to a set of guidelines and principles designed to address the ethical actions of artificial intelligence systems. AI or machine ethics is concerned with the behaviour of machines towards human users and perhaps other machines and the ethicality of these interactions. AI ethics itself is essential for developing machines with built-in ethical principles. As machines advance and gain more autonomy, we will need to define the ethical principles that will guide their actions clearly. Thus, from built in AI ethics, we can develop in built AI ethics with the help of programming ethical guidelines into machines. Although there are many philosophical issues related to artificial intelligence ethics, my attempt in this paper is to discuss the problems of AI ethics, agency, subjectivity, etc. Other philosophical questions are: Can AI systems be considered moral agents when they lack human cognition and emotions? Can a machine act intelligently? Can it have a mind and consciousness? Can we build AI and align it with our values and ethics? If so, what ethical systems do we choose? Can AI ethics be ethical? These philosophical questions play profound roles in talking about AI ethics. |
24th May 2026
Talk: Intelligent Design and Fine-tuning
Speaker: Prof. Prabhat Kumar Singh, IIT (BHU), Varanasi
Prabhat Kumar Singh is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT (BHU) Varanasi, specializing in environmental engineering. He holds a Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur and focuses on ground water quality, solid waste management, and GIS-based environmental decision support systems.
- Area of Interest: Environmental Engineering, Groundwater Quality Modeling, Solid Waste Management.
- Education: B.Sc. (AMU), M.E. (IIT Roorkee), Ph.D. (IIT Kanpur).
- Experience: Joined BHU in 2004; previously with Water Resources Department, Govt. of Bihar.
28th February 2026
Talk: Thoughts and Idea-Leadership in AIts and Idea-Leadership in AI
Speaker: Prof. A.K. Mukhopadhyay, AIIMS, Delhi
Born in 1953, Mukho is MBBS from the University of Calcutta (1977) and MD (1981) from India’s premier Medical Institute (AIIMS) at New Delhi where he served for 40 years on various capacities and last 12 years as Head of the Department of Laboratory Medicine, the department which, in addition to service like 10 million investigations per annum for patient care system of AIIMS hospital, runs MD and Ph.D. courses as service to students, and publishes qualitative research papers as service to science. Bangladesh as a Nation has emulated this AIIMS Model of Laboratory Medicine, developed by AIIMS–Mukhopadhyay leadership.Mukhopadhyay-AIIMS knowledge leadership has given birth to a new science for consciousness, where consciousness is considered the most fundamental (and not neurogenic), having its own ontological, axiological, phenomenological and epistemological attributes that gel well with the complexity of systems cosmology (multiple universe and the systems of The Multiversity), systems psychology, systems neuroscience, systems biology and systems physics. Beginning his journey with “supracortical consciousness” (1985), he authored The Dynamic web of Supracortical Consciousness (1987), Conquering the Brain (1995) and The Millennium Bridge (2000). He wrote extensively in Philosophical Volumes of Indian Council of Philosophical Research. He develops a Pentaune Model of Nature-consciousness, Geometry of Information, Information Holography, a model of Systems Psyche with defined structure, interconnected operations and molecular links, the Ladder of Cognition, the Canvas of Cognition, the Layers between neuroscience and consciousness and the Milestones on the path from God particle to Consciousness, all of which has far reaching translational implications in harnessing of information-based energy, AI, AL, synthetic biology, psycho-somatic and personalized medicine.
31 October 2025
Talk: Our Inalienable Links With the Cosmos and Ancient Indian Wisdom
Speaker: Prof. N. Chandra Wickramasinghe
Director of the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, University of Buckingham; Honorary Professor, University of Buckingham; Visiting Professor, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; Board Member and Director of Research, Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astroeconomics
Speaker: Prof. N. Chandra Wickramasinghe
Director of the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, University of Buckingham; Honorary Professor, University of Buckingham; Visiting Professor, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; Board Member and Director of Research, Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astroeconomics
Chandra Wickramasinghe is a Sri Lankan-born British Mathematician, Astronomer and Astrobiologist.. He is one of the leading expert on interstellar material and the origins of life.
He has made many important contributions in these fields, publishing over 350 papers in major scientific journals, over 75 in the journal Nature. In 1974 he first proposed the theory that dust in interstellar space and in comets was largely organic, a theory that has now been vindicated.
Jointly with the late Sir Fred Hoyle he was awarded the International Dag Hammarskjold Gold Medal for Science in 1986.
He is an award-winning poet and the author or co-author of over 30 books and over 350 scientific papers.
In addition to giving many endowed lectures at Universities worldwide, he was the John Snow Memorial Lecturer and John Snow Medallist of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland in 2004. In 2005 he was named in the first annual Asian Power 100, a list of the most influential Asians living in the UK.
Research interests: Interstellar Matter, Infrared Astronomy, Light Scattering Theory, Applications of Solid State Theory to Astronomy, The early Solar System, Comets, Astrochemistry and the Origins of Life, Astrobiology, Panspermia, History of Science
Read more on Professor Wickramasinghe’s personal website.
He has made many important contributions in these fields, publishing over 350 papers in major scientific journals, over 75 in the journal Nature. In 1974 he first proposed the theory that dust in interstellar space and in comets was largely organic, a theory that has now been vindicated.
Jointly with the late Sir Fred Hoyle he was awarded the International Dag Hammarskjold Gold Medal for Science in 1986.
He is an award-winning poet and the author or co-author of over 30 books and over 350 scientific papers.
In addition to giving many endowed lectures at Universities worldwide, he was the John Snow Memorial Lecturer and John Snow Medallist of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland in 2004. In 2005 he was named in the first annual Asian Power 100, a list of the most influential Asians living in the UK.
Research interests: Interstellar Matter, Infrared Astronomy, Light Scattering Theory, Applications of Solid State Theory to Astronomy, The early Solar System, Comets, Astrochemistry and the Origins of Life, Astrobiology, Panspermia, History of Science
Read more on Professor Wickramasinghe’s personal website.
Nobel Lecture
Talk: My Journey of Discovery
Speaker: Prof. Morten P. Meldal,
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2022
Universität Kopenhagen
Speaker: Prof. Morten P. Meldal,
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2022
Universität Kopenhagen
The lectures are primarily designed to learn and explore various disciplines of science and their complementary approach to spirituality and vice versa. These lectures are free and are scheduled periodically. Each session is delivered via Zoom.
All curious minds are welcome. Attendance is free, but registration is required. The Zoom link will be sent to you prior to the session.
Registration Link:
https://forms.gle/nbTxTZ14n6WthTX4A
